In this episode, Alex speaks with political theorist Ben Woodfinden about the meaning and complexity of Canadian conservatism. Drawing on his essay “A Tory Impulse and Anti-Laurentian Ideas Drive Canadian Conservatism”, Woodfinden explains why conservatism in Canada is not a single rigid doctrine but a pluralistic network of regionally rooted traditions — from prairie populism and Western anti-elitism to Ontario’s old Toryism and Quebec’s nationalist strands. They unpack Canada’s unique confederation story, the idea of the Laurentian elite, and how any coherent conservatism must remain a coalition rooted in local distinctiveness and historical context.

References

“A Tory Impulse and Anti-Laurentian Ideas Drive Canadian Conservatism” – Ben Woodfinden (The Hub)

“Canada’s aspiring populists aren’t actually all that radical” – Ben Woodfinden (The Hub)

“King Charles III and the glorious weirdness of Canada's monarchy” – Ben Woodfinden 

Ben's contributions to The Hub

“Lament for a Nation: The Defeat of Canadian Nationalism” by George Grant

“The Crooked Timber of Humanity” by Isaiah Berlin

Thanks to Our Patrons